[Greek Mythology] The Love of Persephone

None of the gods of Olympus was happier than Hermes, he always thought.

He is the messenger of the gods, one of the twelve main gods of Olympus, and the son of Zeus and Maia.He is both a wise and cunning god of eloquence and a creator of deceit.He is good at playing the lyre, and he also knows how to seduce and lull people to sleep.God King Zeus loves and trusts him.The proud queen Hera has always been frank about the illegitimate children of Zeus, but because of Hermes' rhetoric and youthful appearance, she reservedly acquiesced in the existence of this young god.You know, in all the myths and legends, most of the appearances of the God of Liars are sentry for the cheating Zeus!This further shows Hermes' cleverness and dexterity. Few of the Olympian gods really hate him.

Hermes was born with the appearance of a young man: short soft blond hair, dark green eyes.The handsome eyebrows and eyes still have a bit of childishness, but the slender body is already graceful.He wears golden shoes with wings on his feet, and a golden helmet with wings on his head. The wings are decorated brilliantly.Dressed in a sleeveless tunic and a long cloak, he was fast-paced and always smiling.The golden scepter of a coiled snake in his hand was given by Zeus, which can both lull people to sleep and wake people up.Hermes flies as fast as the mind of a wise man.He travels between heaven and earth, delivering messages for the gods, unrestrained and free.

And this day was no different from usual.Hermes has just rescued the poor and unfortunate human princess Io who was revenged by Hera for the philandering father.He was bored walking on the ground.Now on Mount Olympus, the great father of the gods is pleading with his jealous wife for the unfortunate girl because of her beauty.Hermes also gained a rare leisure.He stopped at a valley at random, strolled, and admired the beauty of the world.

Now it is spring, the land is green and lovely, and the whole mountain forest is painted with shades of green.From time to time, the sound of birdsong is fresh and lively, and the flowers that bloom in the first spring are fragrant and beautiful.The stream sings with its gurgling vitality, and the broken ice blocks float and hit with the current, like the last echo of midwinter.A light sweep of the squirrel's big fluffy tail startled the nesting birds, and they flew up one after another, hovering in the sky for a long time.

This is a wonderful and charming land. Even Hermes, who was used to seeing the exotic flowers and plants on Mount Olympus, couldn't help being amazed at this moment.

"Ah, ah!" The deceitful god who was confused by the grand scene couldn't help praising loudly, "Great goddess of the earth and goddess of abundance, you make this lovely land so full of life! The god of plants who died every year and came back to life, and the goddess of spring who is so shy that no one has ever seen her face, your kindness has made..."

"Who is calling my name?" A curious voice asked not far away.

Hermes couldn't help but startled.Then his bored heart spontaneously aroused curiosity and interest.This young god not only has the curiosity of a teenager, but also has a cunning that far surpasses most adult gods.Hermes' reckless words will scare away this innocent and pure goddess like a deer - he has already guessed the identity of the other party.The God of Deceit suppressed his curiosity about the Masquerade Goddess, and chanted praises in a soft and gentle voice:

"Pure and kind goddess of spring, that shy Persephone who refuses to see anyone! Your voice is more moving than the clearest and sweetest spring water, and it makes my ears, which are used to the sound of the sun god's harp, quiver. , I am deeply happy, but I must also feel sorry for the desolation in the future."

In order to satisfy the curiosity of seeing the true face of the goddess of spring, his dear good brother Apollo will surely forgive him for comparing the sound of the other party's piano-but this is not purely flattering.In Hermes' perception, the voice of the Goddess of Spring is indeed very mellow and moving.The trickster god went on singing:

"Dear Persephone! I am your brother, Hermes with the serpent's sceptre--you may have heard the name of the god of eloquence? Good goddess of spring, Demeter, goddess of fertility Beloved and beautiful daughter! I heard that you have been hidden in the temple by that loving mother since birth, and no gods were allowed to see your face. Alas, what a miracle today that brought you to my home In front of you! My dear Persephone, good man, will you step forward a few steps, and let Hermes see your face?"

The branches and leaves hang down shyly and uneasily, swaying in the wind, as does the goddess of spring hiding behind the tree.She answered softly.Persephone's voice is sweet and sweet, and besides the unique brightness of a girl, there is also a melancholy that is not familiar with the world.She replied softly:

"Hermes, the clever and eloquent god! Persephone was amazed and delighted at your arrival. It was not because I did not want to be intimate with my brothers and sisters, but because my mother was afraid of Gaia when I was born. prophecy—Persephone will be taken captive and separated from her mother forever. My loving mother grieves day and night, and worries about it. Since the imprisonment comes from the love of my relatives, it will also be my obedience. That’s right. It’s just that my lively nature can’t be extinguished. Do you want me to bet on my happy smile for that illusory prophecy? So I slipped out of that temple. How beautiful the world is, and my divine power can just do it for this Now I feel a little lonely and sad, and your presence makes me feel happy and uneasy. Dear Hermes, I would like to see you too—brother, wait a minute Wait, I'll be right out."

Hearing her answer like this, Hermes couldn't help but hold his breath immediately.The inquisitive god of tricksters casts his eyes on the forest by the water, waiting to catch a glimpse of the never-before-seen face of the goddess of spring.He stared there intently, and then a young girl came out slowly from behind the trees.Hermeston felt his eyes light up.

I saw a girl with blond hair and wearing a white robe walking towards him with a bunch of plump ears of wheat in her arms.She smiled solemnly and innocently, her pure face shrouded in a light halo.She is so weak and childish, yet so light and beautiful.Her long golden hair has the luster of life, and her blue and gentle eyes are innocent and innocent.Her nose is small and tall, and her eyebrows are crescent-shaped.And her delicate and soft lips are as fresh and full as flowers, full of vitality.On her head was a crown woven of tender green branches and sporadic flowers, adding to her maiden purity and dignity.She looked so shy and gentle.The young girl lowered her head slightly, so that Hermes could see her thick and curly eyelashes like crow feathers, trembling slightly because of shyness and anxiety.

"Ah, Persephone." Hermes admired sincerely, but he didn't know what to say after only saying the name.This cunning and eloquent god of liars will have a day when he feels powerless.And Persephone's name itself seems to be the best compliment to her.

The goddess of spring raised her head and smiled innocently and shyly at him.

"Hermes, my elder brother!" Persephone's gentle blue eyes revealed joy and joy.The young girl raised her arms, and the slipped sleeves just revealed a white and shiny arm.The goddess of spring extended her arms to the envoy whom she met for the first time, with an expression of trust.She murmured softly: "Hermes the upright and wise, the first god I have ever seen besides my mother and the water nymphs! Though I don't know why, I am encouraged and delighted by your kindness. People say that there is nothing more precious than friendship. I take the liberty to ask you, my brother whom I met for the first time, to be my friend and accompany me on this earth! I am so thirsty for the joy of new birth.”

"Dear Persephone," Hermes heard himself answer, "gentle and pure goddess of spring, please do not call me brother, but call me Hermes. I can hear you call me Name, that is indeed an incomparable joy—good Persephone, I would like to be your friend, and travel with you on this earth."

When he finished these words, the joy of the goddess of spring was so clear, for the whole land was full of flowers.It is like brocade and flowing clouds, fragrant and tangy, spreading all the way to the sky.The goddess of spring in a white robe stands among the sea of ​​flowers, her smile is more moving than all the flowers.

The author has something to say: *In addition to Persephone, the children of Demeter include Plutos, Philomelos and the god horse Arion, but there seem to be not many records about the other three.It is said that Persephone is friends with Athena, the god of wisdom, and Artemis, the god of hunting. This article assumes that Persephone only met her mother Demeter and some water fairies before meeting Hermes.

*The story of the resurrection of the plant god Adonis should happen after Persephone was captured as the queen of the underworld. This article does not involve this story, so it is used as the default setting.